


Your Shituation Is Irrelevant

by TaeKookiefeels



Category: BLACKPINK (Band), 방탄소년단 | Bangtan Boys | BTS
Genre: Break Up Talk, Developing Friendships, Developing Relationship, Drinking, Established Relationship, Everyone Has Issues, Everyone Needs A Hug, F/F, F/M, Jackson sells sex toys, Kinky sex, M/M, Multi, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Other Ships Not Mentioned in Tags, Partying, Past Relationship(s), Post-Break Up, Roommates, Smoking, Two Sides to Every Story, actually pretty funny, crazy good rebound sex, reference to an abortion scandal, rethinking entire existence, some ships that no one asked for
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-14
Updated: 2020-10-04
Packaged: 2021-03-06 16:20:18
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 13,162
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26451745
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TaeKookiefeels/pseuds/TaeKookiefeels
Summary: That’s when Taehyung sees him. The new guy. The co-worker—a completely understated nickname for literally the hottest piece of ass Hoseok has ever brought from the office and Tae doesn’t even care that his jaw drops slightly as he gives him a once over. He’s wearing all black, casual, just jeans and a form fitting t-shirt that shows off his biceps and his brown hair is swept up and off to the side, showing off the most perfect goddamn forehead Tae has ever laid eyes on and holy fuck you know it’s a full course meal when you notice their forehead for fucks sake and his eyes are fucking beautiful and Tae rips his eyes away when he gets to his thighs because if he doesn’t he’s going to pop one hell of an obvious hard on.“Guys, this is Jungkook.”God could he moan that name for hours.
Relationships: Jeon Jungkook/Kim Taehyung | V, Jeon Jungkook/Park Jimin, Jung Hoseok | J-Hope/Other(s), Kim Taehyung | V/Lalisa Manoban | Lisa, Min Yoongi | Suga/Park Jimin, Minor or Background Relationship(s)
Comments: 21
Kudos: 29





	1. You Look Angry

Jungkook bites his lip hard. Bites his tongue, bites back his anger harder than he ever has in his entire fucking life let alone in this entire five year fucking relationship and as he holds his phone away from his face, skin burning, face burning, lungs burning from restraint (because if he breathes right now he’ll blow), he seriously thinks his phone case might actually crack this time. His ass hurts from sitting on his coffee table for the past hour because when Jimin called, Jungkook didn’t want to get comfortable. Never should have let himself get comfortable in the first place because if he could turn the sheer amount of _bullshit_ his boyfriend has spewed over the past few years into currency, it would be enough to buy him seven Ferraris, three mansions, a fucking theme park, and probably Tom Hanks. Jimin has pulled it all, and _really_ , it’s _not_ an overstatement. Jungkook wasn’t born with patience. He had to work at it—seriously, _relentlessly_ , had to work at it—and Jimin worked on _nothing_. Jungkook busted his ass for him for five years and never even expected a thank you and Jimin took everything and shit on it.

“Jungkook, please.” Jungkook hears that deceivingly soft voice that only comes out when they’re fighting or fucking and wants to chuck his beloved device across the room. “Kookie—”

“Stop.” The fuming brunette comes back to the convo so fast he practically smacks himself in the face with his phone, “Don’t call me that right now.” He hopes the venom in his voice physically burns him.

There is a pause and Jungkook can picture Jimin biting the left side of his bottom lip like he does when he’s recalculating. About to try a different approach. Manipulative little shit.

The next time the twenty-two year old speaks, he sounds indignant. “You don’t need to be so hostile towards me.” Once again he frames it like Jungkook is the unreasonable one and it’s the final push that pops the cork out of the champagne bottle and breaks a window in the process.

“I don’t need to be hostile?” The twenty-four year old stands and begins to pace and he knows in the back of his mind he’s about to go too far—Jimin’s been through difficult shit, he’s not a bad person—but the words flow without going through security first. “Jimin, I put my entire life on hold for you. I risked my job to get you out of your parents house. I stopped going out with over half of my friends because you didn’t like them. I said no to fucking _Stanford_ because _you_ didn’t want me to leave. I’ve peeled your drunk ass off the floor of a hundred bars this year and not once did I make you feel like shit for it, and you have the fucking audacity to call me in the middle of the night and fucking—” Jungkook groans and rubs his hand over his face, “I fucking _got_ you this job. I _introduced_ —” _Fuck_ , he hadn’t even thought about Yoongi yet, what part he might have had in this, but they aren’t close—never have been. Strictly co-workers with the exception of the occasional business cocktail, some work parties at Yoongi’s house, and courting his boyfriend behind his back apparently.

“Kook—”

“ _Don’t_ fucking—” He raises his voice a little too high and loudly closes the sliding glass door to the backyard, lowering his voice regardless. He lets out a disbelieving laugh that feels harsh on his throat. “Does he fuck you real good?”

He can hear Jimin gasp at his crudeness and raises his voice sternly. “I _never_ cheated on you.”

“Oh, sure.”

“Jungkook—”

“You call him Daddy?”

“Fuck you.” Jimin’s voice cracks on the curse word. “I didn’t _want_ this to happen, I tried so fucking hard.”

“Yeah, well, it fucking happened anyways, didn’t it?” Jungkook’s voice catches near the end of the sentence and he reverts back to holding his breath, feeling like his chest is going to explode and the pressure makes it to the backs of his eyes not for the first time this week. He knew this call was coming since Jimin and Yoongi fessed up a week and a half ago, and at the time he’d thought they were going to _work_ on this so they didn’t have this conversation but it’s all different now. They’re different now and it’s taken ten more days than it should have for all of this to really sink in.

Jimin doesn’t say anything, doesn’t apologize like he normally would and Jungkook wonders if he is crying too or if he just isn’t sorry. He’s somewhat relieved to hear a small sniffle and he finally sits down on the couch, preferring the comfort at this point and he sighs and he pinches the bridge of his nose, his fingers sliding in to put pressure on his hot tear ducts after a moment. 

_Fuck_.

Jungkook takes his turn sniffing before asking the question he’s not sure he wants the answer to, his voice quiet, tired. “Are you over there right now?” Jimin starts to nervously stammer out an incoherent response and Jungkook cuts him off. “Jimin, stop, okay, just—” he takes a centering breath and drops his hand, staring at the coffee table from his spot on the couch, the weight of his elbows on his knees beginning to hurt a little. “Are you safe? Is Yoongi with you?”

It’s silent for a painful second before Jimin answers. “Yeah, I’m—He’s not _here_ but he’s, he’s here.” The small squeak in his voice makes the corner of Jungkook’s mouth twitch up briefly and Jungkook thinks he hasn’t felt such a confusing swirl of nostalgia and nausea since the morning after his twenty-first birthday party, which Jimin doesn’t remember because he blacked out on Jameson and Adderall about ten minutes before Jungkook even got there. He defended him when he should have held him accountable and honestly he should have ended this relationship a long time ago but he’s been too caught up in the same emotions that blinded him even back then. Jimin shouldn’t have asked him to stay but Jungkook shouldn’t have actually done it.

His phone feels too hot on his face and he sets it down on the table in front of him before putting it on speakerphone. “Are you staying with him?” It’s a loaded question and Jimin hesitates a little longer than he should at this point.

“Yeah.”

Jungkook nods bitterly, jaw clenching and dropping his head into his hands, threading his fingers through his roots and pulling slightly before lifting his head and staring emotionlessly at the air in front of him, picturing Jimin on that pristine white couch, in that massive house with the black and silver accents that have always made Yoongi look like kind of a prick in comparison to Jungkook’s humble one story, furnished with items his parents gave him when he first moved out, using his funds for security rather than for luxury. He pokes his cheek with his tongue. He wants to give Yoongi a nosebleed. 

“So that’s that.” He manages to force out for the sake of closure although he knows this won’t be their last phone call. “Come get what you can while I’m at work tomorrow. Leave your key under the mat.” He shoves down the pain in his voice as much as he possibly can. “We’ll figure the rest out later.”

He hears shuffling of fabric on the other end and feels like he’s going to vomit when he realizes Jimin might be calling from the bed. He bites back his commentary and lets Jimin talk.

“I’m sorry.” He says. “I mean it.”

Jungkook nods. It’s probably true. Might be for the wrong reasons though. They stay on the line in silence for another five minutes, absorbing the end of their relationship before Jungkook mentally flips the switch to ex-boyfriend and officially ends the phone call.

* * *

“Dude, it’s not even the same thing. Jennie was a fucking bitch.” Tae rolls his eyes and takes another sip of beer number four, all of the other bottles scattered along the bed of Hoseok’s truck and clanking when Tae stretches a leg out.

Hoseok smirks bitterly. Tae notices the shift in his peppy demeanor and it takes a bite out of him. Hoseok is about to take a sip from his beer before glancing at the cigarette box Tae is now holding out and plucking one of those instead. He puts the stick between his lips as he hunts for his lighter, unsure as to which pocket it ended up in. “Lisa’s got her baggage though, you guys are better off apart.”

Taehyung shakes his head. She had baggage but she carried it with this grace that he’d never seen before. He didn’t want to break up, but neither of them wanted to do long distance. It never would have worked. They’re both too busy to maintain it but goddamn if she wasn’t the best catch he’d ever had in his bed. Doctor kink was her favorite. Tae is trying not to think of the studly doctor she is probably going to meet at her internship. He’s happy for her, but he kind of also hates her for deciding to take the job on the opposite side of the country instead of the one only two hours away.

“Sorry, I know you’re like, deep in thought about Lisa’s ass, but do you have a light?”

Tae glares at him and scoffs, pulling his lighter out of his back pocket. “You fucking lose it again?”

“Fuck off.” Hoseok leans into the flame until his stick glows and Tae decides to pull one out for himself, lighting it before snapping his Zippo shut and putting it back in his jeans. His friend blows smoke out that the wind carries away from them. “You’ll meet someone else.”

“Oh yeah, _totally_.” Tae laughs, unconvinced as he switches to his beer and Hoseok kicks his ankle.

“I’m serious, dude. World’s not over. Fuckin’ get over it.”

Tae grins and intentionally blows smoke in his face. “I’ll get over it when you get over Jennie.” A grim expression crosses Hoseok’s features and he looks away, mumbling something into his beer bottle. Tae chuckles shaking his head in disappointment. “All talk, no walk.”

“Hey,” his friend points his cigarette at him and Tae pulls his face back slightly, belatedly realizing it wouldn’t have touched him to begin with, “I get that you’re all irked and shit but Jennie is a different case. I’ve been with—was with her for eleven years so go take your two year pity party elsewhere.”

“But there are like a hundred different versions of Jennie okay, Lisa was,” he sighs, allowing the post breakup depression to sink in a little more, “Lisa _is_ literally one of a kind. I won’t find another girl like that.”

An abrupt jolt of the truck accompanied by a loud bang coming from the inside startles the fuck out of both of them and Tae stares with wide eyes as the back window slides open before letting out a relieved sigh. Hoseok laughs. “The fuck, dude. I forgot you were even here.”

“Where are we?” A sleepy Namjoon pops his head out, scanning their surroundings (mostly sand and water and grass) looking unjustifiably lost as fuck and Tae scoffs before shoving his face back into the car. “Bro, you fucking drove us here, we don’t know where the fuck we are.”

They laugh at Namjoon’s bed hair and watch their roommate slide back down into sleep and Hoseok looks back at Tae. “First of all, fuck you, don’t think that distracted me enough to not catch you throwin’ shade. Jennie may have pulled a bitch move but most days she was a fuckin’ angel.” He shrugs in thought. “You’re kinda right about Lisa though. I’ve yet to meet many chicks who throw sick parties, beat everyone at beer pong, do threesomes, _and_ graduate top of the class from med school.” He sips his beer and watches Taehyung take a long pull from his cig. “Maybe you should swing back to dudes.” He says after some thought.

Tae raises his brows, considering the idea for a moment before smirking at Hoseok. “I’ll do it if you do it.”

His friend laughs, expecting as much and nods, exhaling and kicking a beer bottle that they both thought was empty and hopping up with a shriek when it spills. Tae laughs hard at the image of Hoseok perched on the side of the truck bed and they watch the beer run down a few of the bed dips before Hoseok looks up and smirks. “Not the _stickiest_ fluid to dry up in the bed of my truck.”

Tae laughs and puts out his cigarette in the stream of alcohol. “Fucking gross.”

* * *

Jungkook is leaning back in his spiny computer chair, desk phone tucked snugly between his ear and his shoulder, staring at a website draft on his computer screen while he plays with the fidget spinner he got from a co-worker last month.

“It’s a high end hair salon. Shouldn’t it be more chic? I feel like pink and purple is a little—.”

Jungkook frowns as he listens to the woman’s reasons for the color choice. He licks his lips and head nods at a co-worker who passes his cubicle with a friendly wave. “Periwinkle, right, yeah I get that, but maybe try black, grey, white and then add—” he pokes his cheek with his tongue as the woman interrupts for the hundredth time in the past half hour—one hundred times too many considering he is a supervisor now.

Jungkook swivels around in his chair and reaches to the empty desk on the opposite side of the cubicle for his coffee. Since Yoongi changed cubicles he’s sort of spread his stuff across both desks without realizing. “Fine, then try red because this looks very feminine and this hair salon is for men.”

A secretary with blonde hair and long legs runs by his cubicle before backtracking and stopping in front of him and Jungkook raises an eyebrow at her. “Yeah, it says for men in the print out _and_ on the homepage.” He mouths “what’s up” at her and she hands him a stack of folders, whispering.

“Some new client profiles.”

Jungkook reaches out and takes them, putting up a hand and mouthing ‘thank you’ but staring in confusion when she doesn’t leave. “I _am_ aware of the current climate but I don’t think anyone will be offended if you design the male site for its _male_ clientele.”

The secretary points to the phone receiver and Jungkook notices the orange light flashing below the ‘4’ and nods to the woman in front of him before she happily trots away. “Alright, try it with—sure, blue is—what the hell is London topaz?”

Jungkook rolls his eyes. “Okay, yeah, fine. Do that.” He hangs up and hits the ‘4’ on his receiver. It’s his personal line, so it’s either a direct client not through the company or Jimin. “Jeon Jungkook.”

“Hey.”

Jungkook pales at the familiar voice. It’s hardly been a week since they broke up and he’s been the biggest zombie on the planet. It’s been easier since Yoongi changed shifts but now he’s alone in two places that he wasn’t before and these are the only two places he really goes. Jimin is supposed to wrap this up today. “All set?”

Jimin hums. “Just need to get some clothes I didn’t have room to pack and I’ll be done.”

Jungkook nods. “Don’t take my grey sweats.”

There’s a long silence before Jimin answers. “Fine.”

The sound of a box being dropped on the empty desk behind him gives him a start and he whips around to see a tall guy with light brown hair and a slim face waving at him and handing him his coffee before pulling pictures and supplies out of his box. Jungkook takes the paper cup and puts the phone against his chest for a moment, sort of relieved to have some company again. “Jungkook. You new?”

“Hoseok. From day shift.” He smiles and sets down a picture of him back hugging a beautiful girl with long brown locks and a huge smile.

“Welcome to swing shift.” Jungkook extends a hand out and they shake hands before Jungkook puts the phone back to his ear just in time to catch Jimin mentioning bringing him the house key.

“No, please, for the love of god, _please_ , just leave the key under the doormat.” 

It goes silent and Jimin finally answers. “I miss you.” 

Jungkook sucks in a sharp breath and quickly hangs up, having been unprepared for the influx of pain that he had been almost professionally ignoring and he’s shocked by how hard and how quickly it hits his face and threatens to pour out, the bile rising so abruptly he almost doesn’t catch it but the presence of another human in the cubicle aids him in regaining his cool and he takes a deep breath, hesitantly glancing sideways to see if Hoseok witnessed that. He did.

His new cubicle mate is staring at him in surprise, another picture in his hand. He nods. “ _Wow_ , that was something else. Teach me.” His smile makes it seem like he’s teasing. “Break up?” Jungkook huffs a laugh and takes a sip of his coffee before nodding and Hoseok nods with him. “Same.”

Jungkook frowns questioningly and points at the picture of the girl. His co-worker nods, his whole body slumping a little and Jungkook scrunches his nose. “How long were you together?”

Hoseok takes a big sigh. “Would have been twelve years today.”

“Fuck,” The brunette can’t imagine what that break up would have been like, they must have been dating since they were kids. He can’t help but feel like he doesn’t have so much to complain about now.

“What about you?” He puts a pile of chargers on his new desk.

“Only five.”

“Ouch, I’m sorry to hear that.”

Jungkook laughs. “I appreciate the sympathy but let’s be real, it wasn’t twelve years.”

Hoseok lets out a small laugh as he bends down to plug his stuff into the wall. “Oh true. Five years. Yeah you thought _you_ had fuckin’ problems. Get the fuck over it.”

Jungkook bursts out in laughter, quickly covering his mouth because of the accidental volume. “Boyfriend left me for the co-worker who used to sit right there, by the way.”

Hoseok’s eyebrows shoot up. “Oh fuck that, dude. Ew, I don’t even wanna sit here now. Bad jeujeu.”

Jungkook chuckles and shrugs his shoulders taking another sip as his co-worker sits in the chair anyways. “What happened with you guys?”

“She faked her death and left the country.” Hoseok says with a straight face and Jungkook stares in shock for a moment until the guy laughs. “No, she uh,” his face takes on a layer of grief, “She got pregnant, told me she lost it. Then I found the hospital bill and it sort of blew up from there—I mean it’s _her_ body but, I just—” He shakes his head. “I don’t know, man.”

“Shit.” Jungkook gapes incredulously, “That’s really fucked up, I’m sorry.”

Hoseok raises a challenging brow. “Fucked up? Eleven years—damn near engaged—and the bitch fuckin gets an abortion and lies about it and that’s the best you got?”

“I can think of a better word but I don’t want to say it at work.” 

“I know, right?” Hoseok laughs and sets his empty box on the floor. “You said _boyfriend_?” 

“Yeah, I’m gay. You swing?”

“I suspect. I haven’t tried it yet, I’ve only been with Jennie, but I told my friend I’d date dudes with him now, so.” He laughs. “You go out much?”

Jungkook shrugs. “Not these days, no.”

“You should come out with me and some friends tonight. We’re getting hammered and distracting ourselves from our shit love lives.”

Jungkook laughs. “Sounds like I’d fit right in. Where are you guys going?”

“Our friend works at a shitty club downtown and we just walk right in for free so we always go there.”

“Oh nice.” He chuckles. “Fuck, I haven’t been to a club in like three years though, I don’t know.”

Hoseok smiles and wiggles his eyebrows before pulling out his phone and scrolling. “I’m not trying to set you up or anything—” Jungkook scoffs but humors him as he shows him a picture. “But, this is Taehyung. He’s bi.”

Jungkook’s glad he held off on that sip of coffee he was about to take—he would have fucking choked—because Taehyung is fucking _hot_. The picture is of him holding a red party cup in the air, sticking his tongue out and grabbing his crotch but Jungkook can see his perfect smile, perfect tan skin, similar body type to his own, lean muscle and the veins on his hands and forearms are deadly—at least in this picture.

“I’d show you a serious picture but none exist.” Hoseok laughs and swipes through a few more pictures from the same night, one where he’s playing beer pong with some tiny blonde girl in an ‘Attila’ band-t that says ‘Fronz Is My Dad’ (Jungkook laughs and points it out, finding that fucking hilarious), another one where he and Hoseok are making dumb faces, and one where Taehyung and the blonde chick are outside on a back porch with cigarettes in their mouths. Taehyung is smiling and the girl’s got a mad thizz face going and Jungkook can’t help but smile. Hoseok’s friends look like a good time, especially the one Jungkook is “not” being set up with. 

“You’ll come, right?” Hoseok smiles brightly and Jungkook nods.

“Sure. They look fun.”

“Well,” his cube mate adds, “the girls won’t be there. Not these two, I mean.” He swipes to a picture with three girls. The new face is of a small feisty looking girl in the middle with a black beanie and bright green hair, arms hugged tightly around the others necks and making peace signs, a playful snarl on her face. Hoseok points at the blonde from previous pictures who is crossing her eyes and making fish lips and the other one stretching her arms as far as they go to latch onto the both of them like a monkey. She has a huge smile on her face, one that matches with the picture on Hoseok’s desk. “Jennie and Lisa are the reasons we are drowning our sorrows.”

“Ah, the infamous ex’s.” Jungkook nods. _Good, more Taehyung for me_. “What happened with the blonde girl?”

Hoseok shrugs. “Lisa. Tae will probably tell you later tonight if you ask.” He rolls back to his desk and hits a couple buttons on his phone. Hoseok looks up at Jungkook with a smirk that almost says 'prepare for the night of your life' and hands Jungkook his phone. Jungkook smirks back and wordlessly types his number into Hoseok's phone.

* * *


	2. You Want Apologies, Well Fuck You

Hoseok gets back to their apartment at about 9:30pm and has already booked their first Uber driver to pick them up in twenty minutes. He walks down the hallway, knocking on Namjoon’s door on his way to Tae’s room and the closer he gets to the door, the louder the music is and Hoseok stares incredulously through the door as he hears the familiar lyrics.

_♪Fuck yo shit, I stay sick_

_If you don’t like it_

_You could suck this dick♪_

Hoseok groans.

_♪I say cunt, I say bitch_

_You motherfuckers get_

_Offended by anything♪_

He grabs the door handle as Taehyung’s aggressive singing echoes inside the room. “So go ahead and get offended by, _this_ —”

Hoseok throws open the door as the breakdown starts and Tae immediately startles, practically leaping to the foot of the bed in panic to slam his laptop shut and Hoseok crosses his arms. “Are you listening to fucking Attila again?”

Taehyung scoffs defensively. “There’s nothing wrong with listening to some music, okay?” 

Hoseok raises his brows accusingly. “Music that your ex-girlfriend introduced you to?”

Tae gets off his bed and starts pacing around his room. “Alright, yeah, well, I’m just _listening_. Just because we broke up doesn’t mean that I don’t listen to her music anymore. Also, since when is it _her_ music? Last I checked it was—spoiler—Attila's fucking music. Do I not get to listen to a fuckin band ever again cuz I got dumped? No, it doesn’t have to have anything to do with her. It’s not like I’m reminiscing on all of the hilarious times in the car when Lisa would play their music and scream their foul lyrics at the top of her lungs with the windows rolled down while on occasion putting her hand down my pants even though she was driving and almost killed me but it felt so fucking good I didn’t even care if I died, ya know? Not just like my dick—I mean clearly that—but you know when someone just makes you feel really good, and I mean like _really_ _fucking_ _good_ and you have small dumb moments where nothing even happens but you feel like if you died in two seconds you’d be content? You know like you feel like you’ve lived?”

Namjoon at some point has come up behind Hoseok in the doorway and they both just stare at Taehyung like they have no idea what to say and Tae gets annoyed lightning quick.

“Oh fuck you guys, fucking judging me and shit.”

Hoseok frowns in concern at the whole scene. Honestly, if it were anyone else but Tae, this would be funny, hell if it were Tae in any other situation it would be funny, but _this_ is—He is just so blatantly hurting and all Hoseok can think about is getting his friend the hell out of this house and into a dark, loud room where everyone is sweaty and sticking together and no one cares who you are, and no one is playing Attila.

“Alright look man, I don’t need your pity either, okay?” Tae walks up to the door and shoos them out. “Fuck off, I’m fine.” He shuts the door in their faces and Hoseok stands there for a second, looking at Namjoon who looks just about as concerned as he is if not more so.

“Fifteen minutes, Tae.”

There is a muffled ‘K’ and before Hoseok walks away he just barely hears the faint music continuing at a much lower volume and he feels a small pang in his chest that will hopefully be gone as soon as the night kicks off. He drags Namjoon over to the kitchen.

Namjoon catches on immediately. “I think we should start drinking early.”

Hoseok laughs and pulls some shot glasses off of the shelf. “So, I’m bringing a co-worker along tonight. Fresh outta relationship land and super good-looking and you need to help me get them alone together.”

Namjoon scoffs and shakes his head. “I doubt Tae is going to be interested after that show back there.”

“No dude, I’m telling you, this guy is fine as fuck. He’ll come around.” Hoseok looks around confused, “Where the fuck is the vodka?”

“I think Tae has it in his room—”

“Oh for the love of god.” Hoseok laughs and grumbles into his hands before pulling out his phone and texting his new co-worker. “His name is Jungkook. Just got dumped for someone else, they’re perfect for each other.”

Namjoon leans against the kitchen counter, reaches for the bottle of gin, and sighs. “I’m not saying I won’t plot with you, but I am saying that it’s probably going to be a bad idea.” He pours himself a shot and offers the bottle to Hoseok who grimaces.

“No thank you.”

Namjoon laughs and Taehyung’s bedroom door swings open. Tae walks down the hall and into the kitchen with a huge grin on his face and vodka in hand, completely back to his normal self and wearing his tight black leather pants and Hoseok and Namjoon raise their brows at each other optimistically because they both know the leather pants only come out when Tae’s in ‘fuck boi mode’.

“Alright, I’m fuckin ready. Let’s do a round.”

“Oh, wait.” Hoseok says as he gets a text message from Jungkook. After he puts his phone back down he looks up at Tae. “Nevermind. I invited someone from work, but he’s gonna meet us at Seokjin’s.”

“Sweet.” Tae pours vodka in their shot glasses, realizing a millisecond too late that Namjoon’s was already full of gin and they laugh. “Oops, sorry, guess you’re mixing tonight.” Namjoon rolls his eyes and they pick up their glasses as Tae continues. “To whatever the fuck—I don’t give a shit about toasts.”

They laugh and clink their shot glasses together before downing them easily, except for Namjoon who coughs and starts laughing harder. Hoseok checks his phone. “Five minutes till Uber driver gets here.”

“You gonna slip into something more comfortable or were you going to the club in your work clothes?” Tae grins and Hoseok laughs, flipping him off as he walks to his room.

* * *

Jungkook checks under the welcome mat first thing when he walks up to his door, figuring Jimin hasn’t come yet when the spare house key isn’t there. He unlocks the door with his own set of keys and swings it open and is shocked and irritated to see that the boxes he’d left in the entryway for Jimin to take are gone, which means that Jimin was here and just didn’t leave the key. He sighs and rubs his brows. He could really use those drinks right about now. He seriously can’t wait to get out. It’s been years since he has felt like he can and now that Jimin isn’t with him anymore he is realizing that he has kind of been way too tied down for his age. Thinking about going out to a club with his new co-worker and friends just seems like a normal fuckin thing that he should have been doing this whole time and he’s nervous about it but it’s the good kind. The normal anxieties of a new place, new people, wanting to naturally fall into place in a group at least for one night if not for a while because Jungkook needs new friends. As much of a hypocrite as Jimin was, he was sort of justified in disliking Jungkook’s college friends. They were kind of lame and arrogant and clicky as fuck. Doesn’t make it okay that Jimin pitched such a fit about Jungkook going out with them, though. To express dislike or concern is one thing, but to threaten to move out if Jungkook didn’t cut ties with them after graduation is an entirely different concept.

He steps further into the house, about to head to the bedroom to change out of his work clothes and into something club worthy and already thinking about what pants make his thighs bulge the most but when he gets to the living room he stops dead in his tracks. Jimin is sitting on the couch, hands stacked properly on his knees and expression tugged into a guilty yet hopeful smile. Jungkook thinks he might throw up from anger as Jimin stands up, hands bunched in his long sleeve sweatshirt that is too big and always dips down and exposes his collarbones the way Jimin knows drives him crazy and Jungkook’s body is burning, he can barely breathe properly because, “What the fuck are you doing here?”

Jimin flinches a little, his eyes wincing as he tucks his lips nervously. He looks down at his hands and out from all of the sweater material comes the spare key to the house and Jungkook groans in frustration.

“I told you to leave it und—”

“I wanted to hand it to you.” Jimin steps forward but hesitates to go any further, maybe about five steps away from each other at this point.

Jungkook scoffs and shakes his head in disbelief. “I ask one thing of you, the first thing I think I’ve asked for in the past five years, and you can’t fucking give it to me.” He frowns and looks away. “You’re so fucking selfish, Jimin.”

“That’s not fair.” His ex-boyfriend shuffles a little closer. “I don’t like that we broke up over the phone. I just wanted to see you.”

Jungkook sighs. Jimin _had_ tried to meet up when he called but Jungkook insisted that Jimin just talk to him. “Well, you saw me. Leave the key on the counter.” He turns and starts walking down the hallway to his bedroom and he hears the metal key quickly hit the counter top before Jimin is following behind him.

“Jungkook, wait.”

He stops outside of his bedroom door, one hand on the handle as he turns around to face the shorter male. He can barely cope with the image in front of him. Jimin’s soft brown hair, his perfect lips, smooth skin. Jimin is beautiful. Jungkook only just now looks close enough to see that Jimin has bags under his eyes, he looks tired, eyes puffy like he’s been crying and Jungkook has no idea what the fuck _he_ has to cry about.

Jimin’s jaw clenches and Jungkook watches his Adam's apple lift and drop again as he connects their eyes in a way that commands his attention. “I didn’t cheat.” His eyes are pleading with Jungkook to believe him. “I really didn’t, I want you to know that. I’d never do that to you. You have to know I’d never hurt you like that.”

Jungkook squeezes his eyes shut. “Oh _god_ , what do you want, Jimin?” He opens his eyes to glare at the boy in front of him. “What are you doing here? What are you actually doing here?”

Jimin looks down, eyes tearing up. “I just wanted to see you one last time.” He bunches up his sleeves again and looks up. “I have a feeling you won’t be answering my calls from now on so I just—I wanted to say goodbye.”

Jungkook’s heart cracks a little, hearing the words out loud, a reminder of how many nights and mornings they’ve spent together, how many clothing phases they’ve had together, how many drinks, how many tears, how many hugs, how many selfies, how many slices of goddamn cheese pizza because Jimin doesn’t like toppings and Jungkook remembers that used to be cute. He used to look at Jimin and see him as endearing but now, in recent years life has jaded them and their relationship is irreparable because of it. At some point Jungkook thinks they stopped being friends but Jimin kept mooching and Jungkook kept fucking him and it really must have been worse than he had realized because now thinking back on the first time Jimin came to his work— had made a comment about Jimin being a keeper—Jungkook remembers that smile. Huge beautiful smile on his face that Jungkook hadn’t seen in a long time but he was too caught up in his own bullshit to realize that he had stopped saying things like that. He said ‘I love you’, but mostly as a way to end their conversations. He’d stopped telling him how attractive he is unless they were naked and in the heat of the moment and Yoongi would ask about how Jimin was doing more than Jungkook even thought about it and Jungkook should have known, should have realized his part in this, should have seen this break up coming. He should have seen Jimin leaving.

Finally Jimin cracks and the tears fall, he’s quiet, but he’s hurting. For the first time Jungkook realizes what really happened here, that this wasn’t out of nowhere and he realizes why Jimin is still in his house right now. Maybe he didn’t want to leave in the first place. Jimin eventually steps closer and cautiously drops his face to Jungkook’s shoulder and wraps his arms tightly around his waist.

Jungkook clenches his jaw but returns the embrace and holds him tightly which only seems to squeeze more tears out of him rather than comfort him and Jimin lets out an audible sob. “It’s so hard being away from you,” Jungkook inhales sharply in confusion, not sure what Jimin means by that but he doesn’t say anything, doesn’t interrupt, just lets Jimin talk it out of his system, voice broken as he cries. “It hurts, it hurts so bad, my chest is—it feels like it’s ripping in half—what if, what if I made a mistake and—”

“Hey,” Jungkook pulls Jimin off of him carefully and wipes the tears away with his sleeve. His own heart wrenching at the sight. “Don’t...confuse yourself, okay? Just—” He sighs when he sees Jimin’s bottom lip tremble. “If I say I’ll answer your calls will you go home?”

Jimin bites his lip nervously, not the way he does when he’s thinking, the way he does when he’s about to ask for something he knows Jungkook won’t want to give him. The way he does when he knows he’s pushing it. Jimin’s voice is quiet and tentative. “I was fine, I was happy with—I _am_ happy—with Yoongi, but after our phone call I—” He frowns and clutches at his chest. “I needed to be sure—I need to—” He comes closer and takes Jungkook’s hands and looks at his lips and now Jungkook sees what is happening.

He shakes his head. “No, Jimin.” He gently pushes Jimin away. “That will make whatever this is worse, okay? Just...go home to Yoongi.” Jungkook nods reassuringly. “He loves you, go to him. Talk to _him_ about this, not me.”

Jimin looks down in thought, looking drained and confused as he nods. “Right. Yeah, of course. S-sorry.” 

Jungkook sighs and walks him down the hallway, toward the door. He hugs him goodbye and Jimin apologizes three more times before Jungkook finally opens the door. “Get the fuck out.” Jimin looks like he might start crying again until he sees Jungkook smile semi-warmly, then he returns a somewhat relieved half smile and that’s that. Jungkook shuts the door behind him and locks it before all of the energy he had left for the day drains out of him into a nasty pile of baggage on the floor, so he just sits in it for a minute, absorbing what the fuck just happened and the truth is he doesn’t fucking know but he hopes it’s over, can’t take another conversation like that for a good couple months.

He runs his fingers through his hair and pulls out his phone when he feels it vibrate.

From: Hoseok

Are you almost here??

Jungkook rubs his forehead. He _would_ be if Jimin hadn’t held him up but now he’s just—he needs a moment to cool off. A shower maybe. 

To: Hoseok

Change of plans. Meet you at the club in 30m.

Jungkook slumps against the floor for a few more minutes before standing up, peeling off his clothing, and walking into the bathroom.

* * *

Tae throws an arm around Hoseok as they pass through the back door of the club, shitty beads smacking them in the face and Namjoon in tail. Tae had tried to talk Hoseok into wearing leather pants with him but his friend ended up deciding to go casual in dark ripped jeans and a grey t-shirt. Oh well. Tae doesn’t mind rocking tight leather by himself, he enjoys being objectified by people in the club and that’s exactly what he plans on doing tonight because Hoseok is right. He can’t sulk around all night and break his speakers just because he didn’t get his way. He’s being a baby and he knows it. Might as well force himself to go grind into some ass on the dance floor.

They nod to the bouncer who smiles and gives them a sly wink. It’s dark and loud, pink, blue, and purple lights bouncing off of cigarette smoke and vapor and probably hookah, and the club is seriously packed tonight. Bodies on the dance floor are tightly knit together, looking like one massive organism the way everyone is tangled as they dance to the typical house music. Along the walls of the spherical room are large booths, all of them full with different parties. Namjoon steps in front of them and points up the staircase to the V.I.P. lounge where they can see Jin talking to Mark, Jackson, and from the bright green hair and white crop top it looks like Hani is there too and they trot right up the metal stairs to greet them. 

Hani sees them first and gasps before handing her cocktail to Mark and heading straight for Taehyung.

“Tae!” She grins happily and reaches for him and he grabs the back of her head and pulls her straight into a forehead kiss before giving her a huge hug around her thin waist and picking her up.

“Hani-baby, how you doin!” 

She laughs and he sets her back down on her feet. “Good! Where the hell have you been, you loser?” She punches his arm and Tae laughs.

“Around. I’m really starting to love this hair by the way.” He plays with a lock of green and she smiles.

“Thanks, Rosé touched it up for me after I died hers pink. It looks fucking awesome, but now all of my clients see it and want pink hair.” She laughs and holds up her hands. “Look at my fingers! They’re like—okay well you can’t see because of the lighting but my hands and nails are, like, _permanently_ red now.” She rolls her eyes and Tae sees Mark coming over out of the corner of his eye.

“You hand me your drink one more time and you won’t get it back.” He smirks at the girl as he comes up behind her and dangles the glass in her face. He nips at her ear and she squeals at him, flinching away and snatching her drink back before playfully shoving him away.

Mark laughs at her before walking to Tae and throwing his arms around him. “What’s good, man?”

“Oh ya know. Fuckin nothing.” 

They both laugh, Mark wincing slightly with a knowing glance. “Sorry.”

Tae shrugs as if to say it’s not a big deal, which it isn’t, but Mark has always been perceptive and aware of other people’s feelings—the ones they try to hide at least. Jackson pops up from out of nowhere and wraps his arms around both of them, clearly already tipsy. “Ma boiiiiiiiz!”

Tae leaves a hand on Mark’s shoulder as he pulls Jackson into a hug and gives him a hard pat on the back. “How was Boston?”

Jackson steps back and winks. “Hot and wet. Just the way I like it.”

Taehyung laughs. “The weather or the conference?”

“Both.” Jackson laughs before shaking his head. “No, honestly there was some cool shit this time. Lots more designers are linking sex toys with touch technology and—oh, dude, someone brought a masturbation aid for transgender men. It was neat.”

Taehyung nods. “Sounds like a party. Did they like your—” He frowns trying to remember the name, “dildo...thing?” 

“The Wang?” Everyone laughs. Jackson is unphased as per usual. “Nah, I didn’t show it. It’s not ready. I got some second opinions on the prototype though. My life is going to be difficult without Lisa here to test it.”

Tae huffs a laugh and Mark gives Tae a cautious look as he brings up that elephant in the room Tae had tried to dismiss. “Are you and Lisa talking at all?”

Tae shrugs, a minor depression weighing him down now. “Not since she left for her internship last week.”

Mark nods. “Me neither.”

“She misses us.” Hani chimes in, taking a sip of her drink, and Mark lightly hits her stomach with the back of his hand.

“You told me she hasn’t called you.” Mark swipes her drink and takes a sip.

“She called on my break today!” She smiles brightly and Taehyung isn’t really surprised to hear that Lisa reached out to Hani first. Jennie used to be her best friend but after the abortion scandal, Lisa got pretty mad at her and became really tight with Hani. “She talked about you, Tae.”

Taehyung’s ears perk up and it irritates him how his heart flutters. “Yeah?”

“Yeah she said it’s weird going a week without your dick in her mouth.” Mark chokes on her drink and Jackson laughs.

Taehyung tries to keep the smirk off his face. "Checks out."

Hani giggles and looks at Jackson. “She got your going away gift, by the way.”

Jackson raises his brows. “Does she like it?”

Hani laughs. “She said she has used it like a hundred times already.”

Jackson gives a thumbs up. “Tell her when she’s done orgasming to shoot me a fucking thank you text.”

Hani laughs and nods and Mark looks at Jackson incredulously. “Did you really send her a sex toy?”

Jackson laughs. “Yeah dude, I bought her that Bluetooth vibrator she wanted that’s shaped like a pantyliner and connects to your iPhone so you can control the settings. I got it at a massive discount through my company.”

Taehyung can’t help but smirk. At least she’s not already fucking someone else. That would probably hurt more than he’d like to admit.

Mark scoffs. “Your sex toy discounts are a lot better than my Apple discounts and I hate you.”

“Jackson, I think Mark wants you to bring _him_ a vibrator.” Tae teases and Mark’s eyes go wide with embarrassment.

“Don’t fucking give him gay ideas, okay? For the last time, nothing is going up my ass.” Mark laughs and throws his arm around Hani’s shoulders. “Unless it’s Hani, I’d let you put toys up my ass.”

She glares and shoves him off of her. “Trying to bribe me, _babe_?”

Mark tongues his cheek. “I don’t know, _babe_. Is it working?”

Tae raises an eyebrow at their sour tones. “Did you guys break up again?”

Mark rolls his eyes and grins. Hani purses her lips together and pulls her drink out of his clutches right before he sips. “Yep.”

Jackson snickers at them and elbows Tae’s arm. “Two days.”

“No way. Two _hours_.”

Hoseok’s voice pierces the conversation. “Guys, come sit down so we can get a round of drinks goin!”

They follow his voice over to a large round booth and Jin pats Tae on the shoulder. “Out of hiding I see! Welcome back.” He grins and Tae chuckles as he slides into the booth next to Hani after she sits next to Mark. “What are we drinking tonight?” Jin claps his hands together and scans around, waiting for someone to make a suggestion.

Namjoon speaks up. “Should we do a round of shots or get drinks?”

Hoseok holds a hand out as he checks his phone. “I vote tequila shots and I’ll be right back.” He stands up and Tae frowns.

“Where the fuck are you going?”

Hoseok runs toward the stairs. “Gotta let Jungkook in.”

Tae looks at everyone else as his friend darts down the staircase and out of sight. “Who the hell is that?”

Namjoon seems to be the only one who knows. “Hoseok’s co-worker.”

“ _Oh_ that’s right.” Tae doesn’t think much of it. Hoseok has been known to bring new friends along—sometimes they only hang out once, sometimes they stick in the group for a while. Tae throws his arm around Hani’s shoulders and places his hand on Mark’s neck, stroking the back of his head and combing his fingers up through his hair and Mark hums in contentment.

“Mm. Hani, your hands have gotten so big and manly.” He grins and all three of them laugh, not noticing at first when Hoseok comes back up the stairs.

Tae is in the middle of telling Jin to hold the salt on his tequila shot when Hoseok interrupts him. “No, no, no. That’s part of the whole—Jin you can’t let him do these things. Keep the salt, he’s being a pussy.” 

“Hey!” Tae glares and Hani damn near chokes on her drink and reaches for someone’s water.

Jin chuckles and walks away and Tae is about to bitch out his friend for calling him out when Hoseok steps away to the center of the table and that’s when Taehyung sees _him_ . The new guy. The co-worker—a completely understated nickname for literally the hottest piece of ass Hoseok has _ever_ brought from the office and Tae doesn’t even care that his jaw drops slightly as he gives him a once over. He’s wearing all black, casual, just jeans and a form fitting t-shirt that shows off his biceps. His brown hair is swept up and off to the side, showing off the most perfect goddamn forehead Tae has ever laid eyes on and _holy fuck_ you know it’s a full course meal when you notice their _forehead_ for fucks sake and his eyes are fucking beautiful. Tae rips his eyes away when he gets to his thighs because if he doesn’t he’s going to pop one hell of an obvious hard on.

“Guys, this is Jungkook.”

 _God_ could he moan that name for hours.

Hoseok points to the opposite end of the table first. “Jungkook, this is Namjoon, Jackson, Mark, Hani, and Taehyung.”

Tae looks back up with a smirk when Hoseok says his name and he locks gazes with the insanely good looking man standing in front of them. Everyone says hi, but when Jungkook says hi, he is pretty much looking at Tae and man if he isn’t fucking _looking_ at him—Tae can see the interest in his eyes, can tell he is thinking all the same shit Tae was thinking a moment ago and as Jungkook finally breaks eye contact to follow Hoseok to the other side of the booth, Tae wonders if Hoseok did this on purpose. Wonders from the smirk on his friend’s face as he settles into his seat next to Namjoon, pulling Jungkook into the booth next to him, if he took one look at Jungkook and thought to himself _yeah, you look like a good distraction from Tae’s shitty love life_ , and then straight up dragged him here. Tae sure fucking hopes so and as Tae and Jungkook exchange smirks again, he thinks he might be spot on with his assumptions.


	3. Ain't No Crying In The Club

His first thought is  _ fuck, he is even more gorgeous in person _ . His second thought is  _ damn, he really is the king of bisexuals, isn’t he  _ because literally, he’s got his arm around the chick next to him and his hand in the other guy’s hair, all of this with only one arm and Jungkook wonders if Taehyung isn't like this while he’s still in a relationship or if this is just his typical behavior. From the looks of the other two, it appears to be normal. Jungkook is too busy letting this guy feed on his soul through his eyes to notice when one of the other guys talks to him.

Hoseok nudges his arm and he blinks out of his trance before straightening up and looking for the owner of the voice he only sort of heard. Jungkook is decent with names. He can retain three new names at a time and the guy with the bleached blonde hair, black polo, and black leather jacket, who he recognizes as Jackson is grinning widely at him, elbows forward on the table. Jungkook suspects this is the person who is trying to speak to him so Jungkook raises his eyebrows and hums as a signal he is paying attention now. 

Jackson laughs lightly. “I said ‘are you also recently single and miserable?’.”

Jungkook makes an ‘o’ shape with his mouth and laughs awkwardly. “Ah ha. Yeah I um—”

“Shut up, Jackson.” Hoseok cuts him off. “You don’t need to answer that.”

“No, it’s okay.” Jungkook laughs a little less awkwardly and glances around at the attentive eyes from the group, including Taehyung who has moved his arm away from the people to his left and has crossed both arms over his chest, head tilted curiously. “He uh, dumped me for someone else.”

The guy sitting next to Jackson with brown hair, a white t-shirt and dark blue jean jacket—Mark, he remembers—frowns like this is the worst news he’s heard all day. “What a prick, damn.”

Jungkook shrugs and ignores the pang of hurt in his chest as he thinks about his conversation with Jimin less than an hour ago and is thankful that Jackson moves on immediately. “You’re gay?” He says it like he’s more confirming a fact he already knows and Jungkook nods his head. Jackson leans in a little closer. “If you’re single, do you masturbate with toys or?”

“Jackson!” Hoseok scolds and the other guy—brown hair, tan skin, black blazer, white dress shirt and black framed glasses, whose name Jungkook cannot remember—hit his arm and the back of his head so quickly that Jungkook doesn’t even have time to stutter out a response. Taehyung, Mark, and Hani are in stitches, covering their faces and practically falling over each other and Jungkook feels his face heat up slightly.

“What?” Jackson looks genuinely shocked at the attack and Hoseok turns to Jungkook apologetically.

“He’s not trying to embarrass you, he designs sex toys. God Jackson, have some fucking restraint.” 

“I have restraints.”

Hoseok laughs now and Mark finally manages to squeeze out a sentence through his tears of laughter. “Are you seriously about to promote right now?”

Jackson laughs although still not a drop of shame in his eyes as he turns back to Jungkook. “These prudes are just uncomfortable with their sexuality.” Taehyung lets out a boisterous laugh and Jackson corrects his statement. “Okay, well, except Tae.”

Hani is still recovering, covering her mouth and trying not to look so amused but every time Mark loses composure she loses hers too and before anyone has a chance to say another word the owner of the club comes back with a tray of shots.

“All right, you all know the rules…” He looks at Jungkook and smiles. “Hello, I’m Seokjin, call me Jin—like the booze but with a ‘J’.”

Taehyung rubs the stress out of his forehead. “Jin, if you fucking say that to one more person I’m going to—”

“Okay!” He ignores him. Tae laughs and rolls his eyes. “Jungkook, do you know how we take tequila shots here?” Jungkook shakes his head and watches carefully as Jin places two lime slices and one shots of silver tequila in front of each person, one regular salt rimmed shot glass and one regular well drink glass holding about a shot's worth of tequila inside of it. Hoseok looks way too excited and cuts in.

“Okay, so we do two shots,” He gestures to the glasses, “clearly.”

“Ha!” Jin laughs and claps his hands. “ _ Clearly _ .” He’s laughing so hard it’s coming out more like a squeaky sound and everyone is just staring at him in confusion. “Because it’s  _ silver _ tequila so,” Jin hits the table laughing, “so, it’s  _ clear _ .”

The whole table groans except for one person stifling a laugh—the guy who’s name Jungkook still can’t remember—and again, it’s Taehyung who complains first.

“I’m seriously so fucking—if you don’t get help—”

Hoseok glares at Jin. “Can you please shut the fuck up, I am trying to give instructions, you shithead.” Everyone laughs, including Jin and Hoseok continues. “As I was fucking saying before this asshole rudely chimed in, you know how to do regular tequila shots: lick the salt off, drink, then bite and suck on the lime.”

“Yep.” Jungkook nods. He hasn’t done a tequila shot in a long fucking time so honestly he’s a little nervous to hear what this group does to spice it up.

Hoseok nods and continues. “Good, okay, it’s pretty much the same thing except we like to make it a little more of a game. Instead of taking them at the same time, we do it one side of the table vs the other side. We start with a person from each side of the table who take the shots simultaneously. You lick, drink, suck, pour the tequila from your regular glass into the empty shot glass, then slide the regular glass to your teammate to hold it still. Take the second shot, then toss your lime slice across the table and into the larger glass. Once that happens, then the next person can start. The main goal is to finish the whole process as quickly as possible, and also a small victory for the person who finishes first out of the last two people. The last people to drink have slightly different rules. They need to send the glass all the way to the first person and they need to toss both limes into the glass. Does all of that make sense?” 

Jungkook runs through the rules in his head before nodding, a large smile on his face. “I got it.” He laughs lightly as the excitement bubbles up inside of him because he doesn’t think he’s ever been so excited to take shots before. This is the first time he’s done anything like this and it sure beats just taking the shots and even though it’s been a while, Jungkook has always been pretty good at these things and he’s pretty confident that he won’t fuck this up. 

Hoseok nods and grins. “Alright, since you are the new guy and you’ve never done this before, we will let you decide where in the lineup you wanna be. You can start, you can go in the middle somewhere, or you can be the high pressure final player.”

Jungkook can feel Taehyung’s eyes on him and his personified ego sneaks up onto his shoulder, coaxing him to impress them and go for the spot that they least expect him to. He licks his lips in thought, weighing it before finally making a decision and smirking hotly at the group. “I’ll go last.”

Everyone looks shocked and Mark laughs. “Are you serious?”

“I’m serious. Put me in last.” Jungkook nods confidently, even more excited now as he makes eye contact with Taehyung who is biting his bottom lip and looking all too ready to see this.

Hani raises her hand. “I wanna go first.”

“Second on Hani’s side.” Mark adds and Tae stands up.

Hoseok nudges Jungkook out of the booth as well and stands up himself. “I’ll go first on the other side, Namjoon go second.” Jungkook mentally highlights that name, making sure not to lose it this time.

Everyone climbs out of the booth and reorganizes, piling back in with more space between them this time. Hani, Mark, and Jackson on one side; Hoseok, Namjoon, and Jin on the other and only now does Jungkook notice that Taehyung is going last on the other side and gets butterflies. Now he  _ has _ to be quick.

“I should warn you,” Taehyung says as he slides into the booth, “I’m pretty good at this.” He smirks flirtatiously and Jungkook laughs.

“We’ll see about that.”

Namjoon points at Taehyung. “Don’t forget who literally annihilated all of us at this.”

Tae rolls his eyes and Jackson laughs. “Oh yeah, fucking Lisa was the ace.”

“Guys, guys, shut the fuck up let’s do this.” Hoseok hurries everyone along and they all crouch in their seats. “Now, Jungkook, we all just try to make it as fast and smooth as possible. If we don’t fuck up then it’s all gonna come down to you and Tae—whoever drinks that second shot faster and gets both lime slices in first. You sure you don’t want to switch?”

“I’m sure.” Jungkook grins, biting his bottom lip and sharing another glance at Taehyung across the table, a pleasant shiver running through his body when Tae winks at him.

“Alright, let’s go guys.” Namjoon calls out. “One, two,” He looks around at everyone, letting the suspense build for a moment before grinning. “Go!”

The pace sets off quick with Hani and Hoseok completely synchronized like they’ve done this a hundred times, they slide their glasses to Mark and Namjoon who catch them at the same time and they only slow down when they both take two tries to get their lime in the glass and the second group takes off even faster. Hoseok and Namjoon clearly veterans at this get through the entire thing with not one fuck up.

“Woo!” Jackson fist pumps excitedly and Mark and Hani laugh. Hoseok and Namjoon high five while Jackson and Jin start next. Jin is quicker than Jackson but when he slides the well drink glass, it tips over so Jungkook has to fix it and everyone groans and laughs. Jungkook holds the glass still and Jin gets the lime in on his first throw. Jungkook gets a head start on his first shot while the group laughs at Jackson missing the first, the second, and the third throw of his lime before finally sinking the fourth one. Tae immediately licks the salt off his glass before throwing the shot back, wincing when he bites the lime. Jungkook enthusiastically tosses his second shot back and bites his lime then slides his larger glass across the table a little too hard, sending it  straight off the edge, the whole table dying of laughter as Hoseok dives to catch it and put it on the table. Tae gets his second shot down before Jungkook even throws his first lime, then slides his glass across the table, right into Hani’s palm. Tae’s first lime throw fails and Jungkook snickers as he throws  _ his _ lime. His first toss makes it in and everyone but Tae screams in encouragement. Jungkook misses his second shot and Tae finally gets his first lime in the cup before quickly picking up his second lime and now it’s seriously the moment of truth. They grin at each other and throw at the same time. Both limes make it. One lands a millisecond before the other and Jungkook grins like it’s Christmas fuckin’ morning. 

“Woooaaahhh!” Everyone shoots up out of their seats in surprise and Tae groans and slumps down in the booth although there is a clear smile on his face as he accepts defeat. The whole group seems to be truly stunned at the results and Jackson is the first to speak up.

“Dude, Jungkook is the new Ace.”

“Beginners luck.” Tae snaps playfully before turning his gaze to Jungkook and smirking flirtatiously at him.

“No, seriously,” Hoseok laughs, “We’ve never seen a newbie beat Taehyung before. I’m shook.”

Jungkook raises his eyebrows at said champion. “Is that so?”

Tae snickers. “I was  _ distracted _ .” He gives him a suggestive once over and Jungkook’s brain takes that information and does something equally suggestive with it as Jungkook finds himself imagining Tae looking at him like that from the foot of his bed.  _ Fuck he is good looking _ . 

“Oh here he goes.” Mark laughs at Tae’s flirting and Hani cackles with him, nodding in agreement.

Jin sneaks out of the booth and everyone else follows, standing up and forming a small circle. Jin stretches his arms out. “Okay, back to work. You guys have fun and behave yourselves,  _ Tae _ .” He emphasizes Taehyung who laughs as Jin walks off. 

Hani starts jumping up and down excitedly as the song changes. “I need to dance! Let’s dance, come on.” 

Mark reaches out for her, clearly making the assumption she means with him but Hani swats his hand away. “Get the fuck outta here, you’re my ex-boyfriend right now.”

Mark gapes in offense and everyone laughs, especially Jackson. “What? Oh my god are you serious right now, you can’t deny I’m the best dancer here.” Mark wiggles his eyebrows and starts rolling his hips exaggeratedly to the music and Hani laughs and pushes his face away.

She looks directly at Jungkook. “You look like a good dancer.” She grins and Jungkook looks around just to make sure she’s looking at him. Hani reaches out and grabs his wrist before dragging him toward the stairs and passing Mark on the way. “And you’re gay so you won’t try to put your dick up my p—”

“Language, Hani.” Namjoon says, laughing and Jungkook laughs too, half at her accusation and half at Mark’s blatantly offended frown. 

She pulls him all the way into the middle of the crowd, everyone else following them down the stairs and onto the dance floor, not too far behind. Jungkook looks around and doesn’t see Taehyung, and he wonders briefly if he split off from the group to grab a drink or something but it’s not long before Hani’s body slides right up against his and his attention is back on her.

Hani is a little wild card. He dances with her for three songs all of which were total party songs as she alternates between flinging herself around and jumping and then suddenly grinding on him when the tone changes and although Jungkook doesn't typically like many girls he’d be lying if he said he wasn’t having a blast with this one. She turns around at one point and wraps her arms around Jungkook’s neck and cutely waves her hips side to side.

“You  _ are _ a good dancer, I knew it!” She beams and Jungkook smiles and laughs as he grabs her hips, flips her back around, wraps a firm arm around her and pulls her body close to his. 

“Seems like you made a good choice, picking the new guy.” He talks into her ear, not to be lewd but just so that she can hear him better although he is currently doing body rolls against her and she is definitely pressing her ass back into him, platonically of course.

She turns her head to glance at him and wiggles her hips playfully, “I  _ love _ the new guys! Plus, I like to make Mark jealous.”

“Oh is that so?” Jungkook grins and flips her back around to face him. “Well, let’s make him jealous then.”

Hani laughs and comes closer as she looks over her shoulder to catch a glimpse at her ex who is dancing with Hoseok and Jackson and some other chick and as soon as he sees Hani grinding on Jungkook’s thigh he glares playfully, pressing his tongue into his cheek before raising his eyebrows at her scoldingly. He mouths the word ‘really’ and Hani just giggles and wraps her arms around Jungkook’s neck. Mark laughs and reaches out to that girl. Hani stops all of her movements and stares as the girl slides right up against Mark’s side and he smirks vengefully as he tilts his head back and whispers in the girl’s ear, lips so close they are touching her skin lightly and Hani gapes incredulously before disconnecting from Jungkook and storming over to them. Jungkook bursts out laughing as Hani’s bad bitch emerges and she literally pulls that girl off him by the g-string sticking out of her shorts, pissing her off in the process but the girl books it out of the way when she catches Hani’s death glare. Mark laughs in surprise before  wrapping an arm around his ex and pulling her nice and close, smiling with what looks like genuine pride that she actually did that and Hani giggles at whatever Mark says to her.

Jungkook laughs, shaking his head and looking around for someone else to rub himself all over when suddenly he spots Taehyung a few feet away, being completely mobbed by hot women He’s dancing with all of them at once, his professional multitasking giving away his player status and Jungkook’s face heats up as Taehyung’s eyes take notice of the new pair of lusting eyes on him. They stare at each other for a long moment before Jungkook decides he wants to be the one grinding on him and he pulls a lesson from Hani, beginning his walk through the crowd.

Taehyung seems to be surprised, very slowly standing up straighter and gently moving the girls out of his way as he comes forward, meeting Jungkook halfway. They walk slowly, music so loud Jungkook can feel the bass in his chest, the pink and purple lights are bouncing off of Taehyung’s beautiful bone structure and illuminating him, making him seem even more perfect, like he’s an incredibly convincing hologram that’s manifesting from the hot energy in the room. Taehyung finally comes within touching distance but neither of them take advantage of the opportunity at first and Jungkook isn’t sure why Taehyung holds back but he knows his own reason is that he is perfectly overpowered by Taehyung to the extent that he simply can do nothing but stand there and stare at him for what feels like an eternity before Taehyung finally smirks at him and leans in to talk into his ear.

Their cheeks brush against each other and Jungkook shivers. “Where’d Hani go?”

Jungkook chuckles and points to where Hani and Mark have started groping and kissing on the dance floor and Taehyung laughs boisterously before reaching over and swatting Jackson in the arm, pointing at the sight and laughing harder when the blonde turns to look, following up with a massive groan and Tae head nods. “I win.”

“Shut up. Why are you  _ standing _ on the dance floor you fucking weirdo?”

Tae grabs Jungkook as the song changes to a slower more sensual song, pulling him close by the back of his neck, hands sliding down to squeeze his hips and Jungkook goes with the flow, once again letting the other person lead except this time feeling like his body is going to burn up and leave him a melted mess in Taehyung’s arms because Tae is so fucking hot it’s almost painful. Their dancing gets inappropriate fast as they both get worked up by each other’s body language and the heat in the room only makes it worse, makes you sweat from exertion and stimulation, everyone getting off on each other a little and Jungkook is one of them the way he is letting Taehyung grab all over his body, fisting into his clothes as they grind on each other and Jungkook is _hard_. He thinks they both are and it’s not long before Jungkook is panting, a little too close to fucking jizzing all over himself for comfort so he eases off. Taehyung grins as the song changes to another upbeat party song and he only takes a small step away, bangs flipping to the side and spraying moisture into the air before they are doing stupid dance moves and acting like drunken idiots because at this point they are all feeling those shots and having a  blast bumping into each other and switching partners. Jungkook finds himself keeping an eye on Taehyung anytime they drift apart to see if he is grinding up on anyone but he isn’t, instead he seeks Jungkook out the next time a sexy track comes on and Jungkook thinks he’s never been this fucking attracted to someone in his life and he hasn’t ever felt this  _ free _ just by sharing the same oxygen as someone who clearly feels free all of the time.

They are out on the floor for a little over an hour before the seven of them stagger over to the bar, Hoseok throwing an arm over Jungkook’s shoulders and laughing harder than he had all night at Namjoon who had just narcissistically stated that he’s the best dancer in the club.

“You almost gave some poor kid a nose bleed with your sporadic flailing that you fuckin call dancing you ass.”

Jungkook cackles unattractively. “It’s so true i think someone actually ducked at one point.”

“There was literally a circle of dead space around you,” Tae says and everyone laughs harder. “You were the only person on the floor who could actually move.”

Namjoon laughs good-naturedly. “No way, they were watching me. That was a circle of admiration.” 

Jin bops up from behind the bar. “Alright! Who’s not drunk enough?” Everyone raises their hands. Jin laughs and starts taking drink orders. When he get's to Jungkook he smiles. “You seem to have acclimated quickly.”

Jungkook laughs and asks for something strong with at least two hard alcohols in it. He has always been pretty good at fitting in with new friend groups when he wants to. He’s been avoiding doing so in recent years due to Jimin always giving him some bullshit about not liking how he acts around other people which in Jungkook’s opinion was completely bogus. Jimin didn’t make friends easily. He was shy and too used to the same people and Jungkook honestly thinks it’s healthy to change a little around different people. This is no different.

Hoseok moves away from him to talk to Namjoon and Taehyung pops up on his right the second the spot is available. Jungkook smiles, enjoying the tingling sensation going through his body when their legs touch. Taehyung looks curious.

“What’s eating you?” He says and Jungkook figures he must have been wearing a sour expression.

“Ah,” he shrugs and takes his drink from Jin, “Got stuck in a downward spiral of annoyance from this break up. I’m fine.”

Taehyung chuckles. “Oh yes. We’re in similar boats.”

Jungkook takes a sip of his drink and watches Taehyung’s lips a little too closely as he does the same. He remembers the blonde girl from the pictures on Hoseok’s phone, remembers how Hoseok said that Tae would probably tell him about it if he asked, so he does. “What happened with you and what’s her face?”

Tae puffs his cheeks out and looks away, looking peeved at the thoughts running through his head. “Lisa got an internship opportunity.”

“Well that’s cool.”

“On the other side of the country.”

“Oh.” Jungkook grimaces and Taehyung laughs.

“It’s fine. We probably wouldn’t have lasted anyways but I kinda wish she would have taken an opportunity closer to home. She had options.” He shrugs and takes a longer drink before looking at Jungkook, eyes trailing up and down his body and giving Jungkook chills. “I like dick by the way.”

Jungkook almost chokes on his drink and laughs. “You’re not subtle.”

Taehyung laughs, his huge beautiful smile flattering him remarkably. “Just making sure I’m being  _ clear _ .” He says and his gaze deepens, making it damn obvious that he is interested in Jungkook.

“You are.” He nods and returns his smirk. “Am I?”

Taehyung bites his bottom lip. “Oh yes.”

They flirt with their eyes, with their energy, before Jackson enthusiastically pops up between them.

“Hey guys, I just wanna let you know that if you want, I’ve got some cool prototypes in my car you can try out tonight—”

“You drove here?” Tae frowns incredulously and scolds him. “You can’t be this fucking drunk after driving here, what the fuck is wrong with—”

“I drove Jin today, calm the fuck down.” He puts a hand on both of their shoulders and Tae scoffs and rolls his eyes.

“No, Jackson, I already have enough of your fucking sex toys.”

“Do you?” Jungkook flashes an amused smirk and Tae groans and laughs. 

“The piece of shit won’t give me a normal fucking birthday gift, don’t look at me like that.”

They all laugh and Jungkook tells Jackson maybe another time before he finally goes away. “He seems passionate.”

Tae scoffs again. “Yeah,  _ passionate _ is a good word for it.”

“He seems to think we're going home with each other tonight.” Jungkook smirks and swirls the ice cubes around in his glass and Taehyung flashes a small grin. 

“Aren't we?”

Jungkook’s stomach burns with acid butterflies, heating up his whole body, practically shaking with adrenaline at the idea of going home with this guy. He makes a weak attempt to play it cool. “We’ll see how I feel after we finish our drinks.”

Taehyung nods in acceptance of that answer and to Jungkook's surprise, he tips his glass all the way back and finishes off his drink before setting the glass down and sliding it down the bar to Jin.

“Refill?” Jin offers but Taehyung shakes his head.

“I’m leaving soon.” He replies and then smirks devilishly at Jungkook. “Coming?”

Jungkook laughs and shakes his head thinking he should have seen that one coming but the sexual tension between them tightens a bit at the idea of them getting each other alone soon and he likes it. He chugs his own drink now, realizing that he can't tell what percentage of this buzz is alcohol and how much is anticipation. “Your place?”

“I have roommates,” he warns.

Jungkook visualizes all the shit in his own house that still reminds him of Jimin, too many memories to really lose himself unless he blacks out and he'd rather not black out. Taehyung must have read his face because he frowns in concern suddenly and places a hand on his shoulder. “Hey, you don't need to do this. Don't feel pressured if you don't want to do anything.”

Apparently he read his face incorrectly and Jungkook cracks a smile again. “It's not that. I was going to suggest my place but there's,” he pauses, searching for the right words, “emotional baggage over there right now and I just—”

“My place then.” Tae smiles warmly and steps away from the bar, and Jungkook follows.

Hoseok yells at them. “Hey assholes, should Namjoon and I crash at Jin’s place tonight?” He wiggles his eyebrows and Taehyung laughs.

“Up to you.” He grins. “Text me if you're coming home?”

“Will do!”

“Last call for prototypes.” Jackson winks and they both laugh and wave him off before continuing through the crowd and back up the staircase.

Taehyung walks over to a small locker in the wall and types a seven digit code into the padlock before it pops open and he grabs his phone, his keys, and his wallet and shuts the door again. It takes five minutes for an Uber driver to show up and they leave the club quickly, spotting Hani and Mark making out against the side of the building and they wave goodnight before getting into the car, legs touching even though they have plenty of room, and dead silent the whole eight minute drive even though they have a shit ton of things they are dying to say to each other.


End file.
